And last but not least I realized that Switzerland isn’t that different from Texas: At least some interests are mutual!Und zu guter Letzt kann ich bemerken, dass es in der Schweiz gar nicht so anders ist als in Texas: Gleiche Interessen gibts auf jeden Fall!

I’ve been living in the U.S. for a little over 2 years now and it’s been almost a year since my last visit to Switzerland and as swiftly as that have I been Americanized – to my better half’s delight.* (Für Deutsch hier klicken)

When arriving in Zurich the usual first impressions hit me: The toilet flush that swirls the water down the pipe instead of sucking it out; the meticulous cleanliness; the timeliness of public transportation and – public transportation in general!

Swiss vs. Texas tea spoon 🙂

These observations are obvious enough but there’s small things that hit me now such as when I made coffee in the morning and only seemed to find Espresso spoons in my mum’s kitchen drawer. Until she assured me that these are regular coffee spoons. They seem so incredibly tiny.

1st floor, ground floor, upper level??!?

Or yesterday at the train station when a sign announced that the ticket office moved up to the 1st floor… which made me hunt around the ground floor (which of course in the U.S is the 1st floor). I’m confused here people!!

Well, at least there’s a few things that don’t change: Any Swiss bread is still as good as I remember it and thus is bread that deserves the name. It’s not as overly soft as toast. There’s no disturbing holes as they put them in bagels. A crusty-looking crust actually is crusty. And there’s so many variations that your eyes are in danger of going into overload. How wonderful!

Casual cheese selection.

But my real first culinary highlight happened right away during our first breakfast on Saturday: I cut myself a piece of the first cheese available – and I couldn’t believe how creamy and flavorful it was… truly like music on my tongue!! Quite frankly: I think I’m in danger of reversing the impression that one only gains weight when staying in the U.S. 🙂

*The reason my better half is delighted about my confusion is that I finally understand his initial confusion when first arriving in Switzerland almost 10 years ago.

We gave it another shot. Once again we were headed towards the Gulf of Mexico last Saturday, this time applying the knowledge my better half gained through extensive research: We were going to go the extra mile, so to say, and drive out to the island that protects the bay of Corpus Christi from the open Gulf of Mexico. The place we were heading for was Port Aransas on Mustang Island. (Für Deutsch hier klicken)

Beach at Port Aransas… white, fine sand as far as the eye can see.

According to reports on the Internet jellyfish season on Texas coasts last from spring to late fall, some natives even claim it’s a year round thing. But apparently jellyfish, which drift with the current, oftentimes get stuck within the bay of Corpus Christi, unable to swim out by themselves as the most common jellyfish in the area, the moon jellyfish, are only capable of limited motion. So they depend on the current taking them back into the open waters of the gulf.

We arrived by the beach somewhere between 1 and 2pm due to me sleeping longer than anticipated (I set my alarm for PM instead of AM… stupid 12 hour time system…) and because we got caught up in a pretty bad traffic jam that was thankfully only starting to build up but Google maps indicated that 4 accidents in a row had happened.

The famous USS Lexington – it’s huge!

That seems quite incredible and I still wonder if it was the same one or two accidents only being reported several times. Anyway, we were able to get around it and thus to the beach at a still acceptable time. But we immediately called off any thought of visiting the USS Lexington. Again. And we still plan on coming back just for that. After all, the Lexington is a movie star: All of the aircraft take off scenes in the movie Pearl Harbor, meaning both American and Japanese, were filmed on the museum ship anchored in the bay of Corpus Christi.

The marshes on our way back towards the mainland… something building up in the distance.

Even though we had a lot of fun on our last trip I have to say: The swimming experience this time was ways better. The gulf waters are almost as warm as the bay waters but soooo much clearer. We could see our feet standing hip deep in the water. Plus: No jellyfish attacks this time which to me personally was a highlight J It’s not that jellyfish stings are very painful it’s more the anticipation of the next one coming that disturbs your peace of mind and thus slightly ruins the whole experience.

God’s wrath looming over the oil refinery?

So is the three plus hour ride from Austin worth the whole experience? You may ask yourself that as you unfold out of the car, slightly stiff and woozy, but once you lay on the beach after having set foot in the water and the waves started playing with you, the question becomes obsolete.

I’ve spent the whole of last week in Orlando. Or let’s say at the Hilton in Orlando. (Für Deutsch hier klicken) It could have basically been anywhere really, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference because as a conference participant you don’t get to see the outside world very often. This Orlando trip was exactly the one that I accompanied my husband to in the last two years, but back then I spent my

The oh-so-official-conference-me

time lazing by the pool and exploring Florida. Which didn’t bring in a lot of money or rather it was using up quite a bunch of dineros. That’s why this time around things were a little different: I had a boss to take care of and a mission to fulfill – keeping my boss happy and his schedule organized.

Upside-down house, view no. 1

Both of my tasks weren’t overly difficult to accomplish as my manager is a very easy-going person. If he gets his daily Starbucks Americano and enough water he’s usually a happy man. And his schedule was mostly taken care of before we even left the office. There was the eventual change of an appointment but nothing too wild. Thus I was able to attend many of the sessions and keynotes which were most interesting, inspiring, some right-out hilarious and all of them educating.

Taking a break (to catch up with my own paperless paperwork…) at the Starbucks-serving coffee place.

What struck me most about this conference is how much time you can spend in a windowless room, debating, hacking away on your laptop without ever seeing the light of day. One of my happiest moments last week was accordingly when my better half and I first managed to sneak out of the hotel for dinner. This was on Tuesday evening which is not bad at all as I’ve heard people almost brag about how they attended conferences where they first set foot outside the hotel when… well, when they left. After check-out. After like 4 or 5 days inside conference rooms, hotel rooms and hotel restaurants in a row. When I look at the official program of our conference week, our only moment outside would have consisted of a few steps to a bus that would have taken us to the Hard Rock Café/Hotel Orlando and then the same couple of steps to hop on the bus back to the Hilton. The thought sends chills down my spine. For I’m a sun worshiper. I need daylight in order to thrive. My better half calls me a little flower. Always the face in the sun. And it’s true. I need natural daylight like I need food. Not necessary sunny skies, otherwise I would have withered and died a long time ago during one of those grey winter months in Switzerland. But getting out of the AC’d (which I call “air chilling” rather than “air conditioning”) surroundings into the all-embracing warmth and the soft light of a late Orlando summer day was heaven for me.

Upside-down house, view no. 2

Another highlight that week was when I moved my butt to the gym and climbed onto the treadmill – imagine that being a highlight for me… to run on a treadmill!! And right after dinner at that. I did hill training as usual on the treadmill and my belly definitely wasn’t too happy about the steep uphill climb laden with fish and dessert and the likes. But I pulled it through anyway. I needed to loosen up those muscles and tendons that from slouching in chairs of doubtful posture-quality were rather tensed up and shortened. And the

And the not-so-official-conference-me 🙂

effort was totally worth it! I got myself nicely loosened up and could actually see myself making it through the remainder of the week. Which I did. And it was good. We had fun; lots of fun! Especially at the SNL-themed dress-up dinner on Friday which was hilarious. All those costumes, crazy! It was an intense week in which we got a lot of work done and got to take even more work back home. But that’s how it should be, I assume – to ensure we can return next year and do it all over again 🙂

When I had closer look at the map of Las Vegas for the first time I was surprised to find “Downtown” to be quite a bit removed from the so-called “Las Vegas Strip”. By 2.5 miles to be exact. That is, 2.5 miles from our accommodation at the time, the Wynn Las Vegas. Of course, one is never really aware of these distances when looking at the surroundings from the average pedestrian’s perspective, i.e. from the ground. Thus, the Stratosphere Tower looked as if it sat just around the corner – only that there is no corner to be seen. But figuratively speaking. (Für Deutsch hier klicken)

Thinking that I’m light on my feet and therefore a distance like this would not easily bring me to my knees I made my way to the Stratosphere Tower. Though it was clear that exactly on that day at this hour no breeze could be felt and no cloud be seen anywhere. Accordingly hot it got on the road and I was working up a good sweat. But my hike should not remain the only thing that would cause me a sweat that day. When I arrived at the Stratosphere I was asked whether I simply wanted to enjoy the views or get the all-around package. Well, as you may know I am a quite adventurous person and don’t easily shy away from roller coasters. But what is on offer there tops even my sense of adventure: The roof of the observation tower houses four roller coaster-like attractions that were installed there to attract the real adrenaline junkies. For one you get to ride an actual roller coaster – the so called High Roller. Then you got a kind of lift that’s simulating a free fall that goes by the name of – guess what – Free Fall and then the two seemingly worst ones, a roller coaster rotating over the gaping abyss that is very aptly called Insanity and its in no way inferior counterpart, the Big Shot – a sort of swing that shoots out over the protective roof of the observation tower. The mere thought of the latter two made my blood run cold.

Anyway, I declined the adrenaline version with thanks and caught the elevator up to the observation deck. I walked towards the picture windows which – of course – ran from floor to ceiling. And were slightly tilted outwards so as to practically invite you to lean on the window and enjoy the feeling of floating above the abyss. Fortunately they have signs put up everywhere, prohibiting you of doing exactly that. So I made my way around the deck, enjoyed the views in every direction and took photos until I surprisingly found myself almost alone in front of the “main view” on Las Vegas and the Strip. Since I didn’t block anyone’s view I took my time and leaned comfortably against a pillar – when I suddenly sensed a falling motion out of the corner of my eye. Had there just fallen a person past me? That’s terrible!! But only a second later I realized that I had propped myself up right next to the bungee jumper’s glass box. So a person had indeed fallen (or rather jumped) off a platform right next to my head. When I sensed some feet dangling high above my head because I passed under the Insanity Ride a little later on it didn’t shake me quite as bad anymore. Nevertheless, I decided that instead of climbing up to the open-air roof I would enjoy a beer on one of the sofas behind the wind- and especially scream-proof glass. Seemed a lot more alluring to me.

The next time I moved to the northern part of the city I opted to catch the bus. This time my path led me to two museums: First, to the Mob Museum where I learned all sorts of things about the history of the American Mafia. Among other things, we got to sit in the very courtroom in which the biggest mob hearing in history took place. By means of videos we were taught all about exactly this incident. Where several Mafiosi invoked the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution which protects a witness from incriminating him-/ or herself.

The most interesting part of the whole exhibition was the direct reference to Las Vegas. How the mob disappeared to Las Vegas where it was legal to open casinos and gambling dens and was thus able to continue its lucrative business without problems. Which of the renowned casinos were actually opened by Mafia members. Pictures of Las Vegas from the early days. Where all you see is a motel complex and nothing but desert all around it. And it was impressively stated that there was no aspect of public trading in which the Mafia was (is?) not involved: Even the parsley trade was controlled by the mob! The guided tour was rounded off by the FBI’s view on the Mafia hunt.

It was already dark by the time I strolled from the Mob Museum to the Neon Museum. Which makes sense, for the Neon Sign Museum is a classic Las Vegas institution that collects and exhibits the neon signs of various, now demolished hotels and casinos. The transition from the Mob Museum to the Neon Museum is flowing, for here you get to see the neon signs of the hotels and casinos mentioned at the Mob Museum. Looking at some of the signs conjures up memories of old movies. Accordingly interesting and instructive was the guided tour through the so called neon sign bone yard. The visit to these two museums made my stay in Las Vegas really worthwhile. Because they taught me something about the city. They made me understand that even this most artificial of all artificial towns carries history and a certain culture.

For a city I didn’t necessarily want to return to I sure dedicated quite a lot of attention to Las Vegas. I think it shares a trait that has always allured me in humans: A certain dark side seems to inexplicably attract my attention. My conclusion: Las Vegas is well worth a visit. After three days, though, I wasn’t too sad to leave the city. On the one hand, the sensory overload is enormous. With every step you take you are accompanied by a soundtrack coming out of bushes or sidewalks, no yard passes by without a neon sign glaring down at you and there is something new to discover around each and every single corner. In addition, a never-ending busyness seems inherent in the city; be it the never-ending tourist flows, the business people hastily rushing through the hotel lobbies or the never resting slot machines – there’s constantly something going on. Furthermore, I’m still racking my brains over the city’s contrasts: On the one side, you got all the luxury brands ranging from Gucci and Rolex to Louis Vuitton and on the other side the ever-present homeless people on the pedestrian bridges. Then the magnificent buildings along the beaten path versus the partly run-down, somewhat dodgy neighborhoods whenever you leave the main arteries of the city. And last but not least the constant contrast between the evergreen golf courses and the surrounding desert. No, I couldn’t shed my ambivalence towards the gambling paradise. But I have to admit that the fascination of the place has absolutely justified during those three days.

After possibly having bored entertained you with my slide show last Sunday or Monday (depending on when you read it), I’m trying my best to make my narratives about “the other side” of Las Vegas a little more fun. Last time we marched down what is seen from the north as the right side of Las Vegas Boulevard; this time around we’re going to experience a stroll back up the left side. (Für Deutsch hier klicken)

The, or let’s say my, first stop on the left side of the road was the MGM Hotel and Casino. Although a little ways further south one would find the Hooters Hotel and Casino I didn’t pass by there for it is not really my kind of place. So I strayed around the MGM for a while to see if they have anything special to offer but when I’m looking at my pictures now I apparently only found two subjects worth photographing: For one thing a massive Chinese dragon, for another a kind of monster bike. To be quite honest I’m not even really sure whether I actually found these attractions at the MGM or someplace else. I’ve totally lost track there for a moment. Anyways, in order to not walk my feet on fire – after all each complex practically runs for miles on end – I decided to transfer to the grandest means of transportation in all of Las Vegas: The monorail. This enables you to swiftly dash from the MGM to the Stratosphere Tower (4 mi) and even lets you look at all the big hotels on the left side of the road. Only from the back however. Which can be quite impressive too, for example when I passed by our hotels staff parking garage which was almost the size of the hotel itself – monstrous. At any rate, I rushed to Paris, France Las Vegas, by monorail. After having managed to find my way through several passages, corridors and the whole food court to the actual Little Paris, I was rewarded for my efforts: There you are, ambling through a shopping mall, a casino and various bistros and everything seems as if you’d just arrived in a miniature version of Paris, France. Here, too, the ceiling is painted a sky blue with some feathery clouds and the lighting changes in such a subtle way as to make you think you’re in a different time of day every time you glance towards that sky. One moment the clouds are shrouded in the pink of dawn, then again aflame with light as on a late fall day and then change once again to a dusky hue. Only night time never seems to have a go. Paris in the Nordic midsummer. The bistros and shops were shrouded in such authentic facades that even Europa Park in Germany would grow pale. And I a little homesick.

After this detour into my native neighboring country my little trip took me through the Flamingo casino. Technically you could – in contrast to other casinos – just as well walk around the building but the walls on either side of the casino have huge open gates which make walking right through the casino just as easy as walking around it. No annoying opening of doors, just keep strolling. The Flamingo is the oldest of these big casinos on the Las Vegas Strip that is still in operation and that’s exactly where it happened: I traipsed quite comfortably away when someone at the blackjack, poker or I don’t know what else table got up and began to make a scene. By the time I had my head turned in the direction of the bully, two beefy security guys had already appeared out of nowhere and escorted the ragger away from the table and thus away from the origin of his tantrum. It was a complete mystery to me where these two security guys appeared from so suddenly. Which made me once again suspect that there must be magic at work in this town.

Next on the map is the Harrah’s. That’s where I watched part of an Elvis show. I was so taken with the performance (might also have been the influence of the beer I treated myself to after wandering around for so long) that I totally forgot to take any pictures. Which means to me that I thoroughly immersed myself in the moment and enjoyed both sound and atmosphere to the fullest. And will thereby hopefully keep a clearer memory of Las Vegas this time.

The LINQ Ferris Wheel is actually situated between the Flamingo and Harrah’s, but I skipped it for it simply seemed somewhat dull as one full turn takes at least an hour. It would be a good place to relax tired legs but I had stretched mine quite nicely at the Elvis show already.

The last stop before heading to the far north (i.e. the Stratosphere Tower) was the Venetian. Another outstanding experience just like the Petit Paris. The same sky blue ceiling, the same kind of “facaded” boutiques and restaurants, only here they effectively threw in a Canal complete with Venetian gondolas and singing gondoliers. Both indoors and outdoors. Yes, hard to believe. There you are, dallying around in a shopping mall-like building, only to find yourself next to a river. How bonkers is that??!?

And once more I managed to bend your ears (or rather your eyes) with one and a half A4 pages of text. Therefore, I shall postpone the discourse on my adventures on Stratosphere Tower and at my other two destinations in Downtown Las Vegas until next time. I hope you’re still interested? Let me proclaim this much: The two mentioned destinations in Downtown made my visit to Las Vegas really worthwhile. Curious? Well then, tune in again on Sunday evening or Monday – I’m looking forward to your visit!!

The MGM lion with the New York New York skyline.The MGM’s (if I remember right) massive Chinese Dragon.The Monster Bike at (I believe) MGM.Paris by day. Paris, Las Vegas, of course.Paris by night. Paris in Las Vegas, that is.Paris in Vegas. I’m “stair”-ing in awe!One of the Eiffel Tower’s… legs? Or what is that called?What a pretty bistro scene in Paris, Las Vegas.Welcome to Paris, Las Vegas.A detail in the ceiling upon entering Little Paris.The Flamingo; the oldest resort on the Strip still in operation today.Harrah’s; where I enjoyed the Elvis show.Not sure whether it’s supposed to be the “Procuratie Vecchie” or the Doges Palace.Campanile San Marco… with some random fountain.Rialto Bridge.Panorama of the Venetian’s inside. Marvelous.A singing Gondolier. Inside the Venetian.

On Tuesday morning I steeled myself with coffee and fruit juice for my first day out on the streets of Las Vegas. (Für Deutsch hier klicken) I wanted to see the huge, compact world Vegas has to offer so I set out to see all the main attractions which went something like this: From the Wynn Hotel, where we had taken up quarters, I crossed the street and went south along Las Vegas Boulevard, past the Fashion Show Mall with its somewhat extraterrestrial looking canopy, then on to Treasure Island, nowadays in a very hip fashion simply called the “ti”, where I got to admire the pirate ships of yesteryear. Next over to the Mirage which adorns its lobby with an enormous aquarium and where during the night hours a stunning show mimics a volcanic eruption. After that on to the monstrous Caesar’s Palace Complex, of which the “Forum Shops” form a part. As mentioned we already visited those on our first night out and I got to awe at the curved escalators, the ever-changing sky on the ceiling (I may come back to this story in my next blog) and the huge fountain inside the shopping center.

After Caesar’s Palace with its various Caesar busts and silhouettes, which allegedly were all created after the image of the owner rather than Julius Caesar, I crossed over to the Bellagio with its stunning water and light show. The New York New York complex surprised me with a roller-coaster that turned out to be wilder than expected. Loopings, twists and a quick look into the casino hall were offered to me and my stomach. And swiftly I went on to Excalibur, a hotel closely resembling the looks of a Disney cartoon castle. Enchanting. As with practically all of the hotels and complexes, the theme was continued inside and accordingly some of Excalibur’s hotel staff welcomed me in knights clothing.

Upon leaving Excalibur, I was greeted by the shiny top of the Luxor pyramid. While continuously shaking my head in disbelieve I photographed the Obelisk, the Sphinx and the pyramid. It’s hard to grasp all the things that were created in this place called Las Vegas. I found the interior of the pyramid extremely fascinating for it is hollow and the hotel rooms run along the triangular walls of the pyramid, thus converging towards the tip. Somehow it’s hard to imagine that there should be enough space to stand upright in any of these rooms – at least next to the window. Next to the Luxor Resort lay my last stop on this side of the street, the Mandalay Bay Hotel, which apart from its sandy beach by the pool didn’t really seem to offer a whole lot. I might be wrong of course for my senses were already very heavily saturated by all the other feasts for the eyes.

Next time I shall take you to the other side of the street and move north towards – among other things –the Stratosphere Tower, where I experienced quite a bit more excitement than on the side of the street I told you about today. Which means: Stay tuned! 😉

The Wynn and Encore Hotels.The Fashion Show Mall Space Ship.Treasure Island Pirate Bay.The Mirage volcano spectacle.The curved escalators of The Forum ShoppesCaesar with his palace.Caesar’s silhouette… or not??!?Beautiful Bellagio water and light show.New York New York with it’s rather crazy little roller-coaster.Excalibur, the Disney-looking castle casino and hotel.The Sphinx and Luxor Hotel.Inside the Luxor pyramid.The Mandalay Bay Beach.

We started our trip to the gambler’s paradise which is Las Vegas with the airline sporting little animals on its wings and tail, Frontier. Unfortunately I can’t really recommend them so far. Though they may tempt bookers with better offers than their competitors, the extra charges during check-in will make you and your wallet cry. Thus we had to decide whether to bring our baggage as carry-on for $30 or as checked bags for $20. If you’d like to have a pre-assigned seat, that’s an extra $8 per person and flight. In the end we incurred a total of $92 of additional charges. And that was only the outbound flights (plural because of our stop-over in Denver where I encountered my first snow in 1.5 years). I think it’s needless to say that nothing on the flight is for free either. Soft drinks and water come at $2 and my sometimes a little ironic husband noted that surely even the use of a puke bag would be charged at a dollar or so.

Since we preferred to watch and haul our bags ourselves at $30, i.e. carry-on, we were at least spared the wait at the carrousel which is a nice change for once. Also it ensured a fast sprint through the airport and outside to the taxi rank where – to the great amazement of my widely travelled better half – we didn’t find a long queue waiting for us. But instead we were ushered into the second taxi available and off we went in the direction of downtown Vegas.

On the drive from the airport to the hotel I didn’t pay too much attention to all the attractions. For once not because I was shooting pictures like crazy woman but because I didn’t want to risk to be totally overwhelmed before even having arrived properly.
Entering the hotel was an experience in itself: This was the first hotel to actually make good use of the huge lobby space – and stuffed it with awesome flower arrangements. Gorgeous!
Of course, the way from the lobby to the elevators that would take us up to our room lead through the entire casino and along every single bar they have to offer. What some might consider a paradise is simply too much for me so soon after our arrival. I’m totally overwhelmed. It’s a wonder I could stand it without closing my eyes. It was so much in fact that I didn’t even realize that this was the first indoors facility I encountered in years that allowed smoking. Can you believe it? But then again, what else should the short-skirted girls carry around in their vendor’s tray, lollies? Unfortunately, once my better half told me about the smoke I couldn’t make it undone and the stench of cold smoke stuck to my nostrils until we arrived on our floor – where it was promptly overpowered by what my dear husband said to resemble a skunk smell. Or let’s be frank about it: A skunk stink. It is the weirdest thing, as soon as you step out the elevator this stench of burned rubber and some other unidentifiable stink envelopes you. I shall have to test out whether this mystery is taking place only on our or on every floor.

Walking around the first part of the city that night – and I have to say night because even though we landed around 3 pm in the afternoon, daylight didn’t honor us with its presence for very long. By 5 pm it was pitch-black – apart from the myriads of lights which turn the city into what I imagine a nightmare for epileptics. Indeed I have to admit that after only a few hours in Sin City so many impressions challenged my senses that I was amazed it didn’t hurt. Had I been threatened to encounter a fit in New York for all its busy shuffling about, here I’m in constant danger of a seizure that sends me right into a coma of overload.

I think I made all of this sound pretty scary. It is. But I shall be brave and face the never-ending business for I cannot deny it: The city has cast its spell on me and is calling for me to come out and play. Well then, let’s toughen up and go see what it has to offer!

The time has come again and my beloved husband has to go on a business trip to one of those cities full of attractions which to show me he has committed himself to. I shall be happy enough for I’m still as free as a bird and I like to use every opportunity to broaden my cultural horizon. (Für Deutsch hier klicken)

Well, once you’ve learned what our destination will be some of you may mutter “cultural my a**” and furrow your brows. Our destination in any case is – tadaaaa – Las Vegas. Though I can confirm having been to Las Vegas before you can’t quite call it “been”. At the time – and that has been over six years now – we merely drove through Vegas after having admired with bulging eyes the miracle that is Hoover Dam. I can remember that part of our journey really well. Even the car ride into Las Vegas, this spot of busyness in the desert and recognizable from afar, burnt itself very clearly into my memory. Of the actual city, however, all I can recall is a series of blurry images. The reason for this surely presents itself in the fact that I frantically tried to shoot photos of the main attractions out of the moving car. Now whoever knows only the slightest thing about Vegas will recognize my dilemma at the time – if you’re driving along South Las Vegas Boulevard there are hardly five feet to be found without any of these “attractions”. It was probably one of the few (or the only?) car rides on which I appreciated every single red light.

Hunting for Paris in Vegas.

I wouldn’t have counted on me ever seeing Las Vegas again after that first brief meeting. My attitude towards the city is, well, rather ambiguous. A water- and energy-sapping monster in the Nevada desert, the den of iniquity with its countless casinos – those who really know me must be aware that this is not exactly the stuff to tempt me with. But then again, to see half of Europe on a stretch of just 4.2 miles presents by American standards a small wonder of the world in itself. And to me it’s quite clearly the ingenuity and creativity of the urban planners that attracts me.

Treasure Island… a photo clearly taken out of a car 🙂

We will see what conclusions I will draw after a deeper insight into the capital of entertainment. My itinerary at least is full. Even without shows and gambling. Instead, museums (yes, they indeed have them there!) and a visit to one of the countless Elvises (is that a word or did I just invent that?) – the latter mainly out of nostalgia. I would like to announce to my uncle, a professed fan of Elvis, that I was able to enjoy a few hours of Elvis’ music. Just like in the good old days on Gran Canaria.